Officer looks back on law enforcement career

By ANIESA HOLMES Daily News Staff

Published: Sunday, January 6, 2013 at 02:57 PM.

One of her greatest acts of service is now a faithful companion that she calls Buddy. Before he became a member of her family, the walker hound was a skittish stray that made a home at the airport five years ago. Ramires relentlessly pursued a friendship with the injured dog, feeding him Bojangles meals and developing a strategy to bring him to safety.

“One day I was out patrolling and I noticed him and his collar was cutting into his neck,” she said. “I started feeding him and getting friendly with him.”

Buddy was finally captured 16 months later after he was wooed by a gentle beagle named Roxie, who also lives with Ramires and her family along with two other dogs. Although he still scurries from strangers, Buddy is now a healthy dog who enjoys good meals and rides in the family car.

Ramires believes that her love of protecting and serving is deeply rooted in her DNA.

“Daddy’s dad was a sheriff in
Texas
; Daddy was a (military police officer); and my brother is in law enforcement so it’s in the family,” Ramires said. “With it being in the family, I’ve been around it forever. Troopers would come over all the time, and I got to sit in the patrol car and that was something I always wanted to do along with helping people.”

After completing basic academy training, Ramires secured her first job as an officer with the Cape Carteret Police Department and quickly earned an officer of the year award. Ramires served nine years in
Carteret
County
, six months in
Jones
County
and five years with the Richlands Police Department before she became an airport officer. Ramires said that the prevalence and respect of female officers has drastically grown over the years since she started her career.

After more than 20 years in law enforcement, Officer Frederica “Dolly” Ramires is still getting used to life without her uniform and patrol car.

“I’m sure that I’m going to miss it,” Ramires said. “My concern is my knee now since I’ve had recent two surgeries on it and I don’t want to injure it anymore.”

On Dec. 18, Ramires spent her final day with her colleagues at Albert J. Ellis airport, where she served as an officer for five years.

“She was hardworking and compassionate and dedicated to the safety and security of a passengers coming in and out of the airport,” said Christopher White, director of Albert J. Ellis airport.

Ramires was awarded with a plaque for her years of service, just one of many honors that the Hubert resident has received since she first started her career in CarteretCounty in 1990. White said that Ramires went above and beyond her daily duties to establish safety in and out of the airport. She also served as the interim chief for the airport police department during its developing stages and devoted her time to establishing positive relationships between local law enforcement and the community.

“We have many commendation letters for her work over the years, and she also taught self-defense classes to the county employees,” White said. “Many of those employees are in dangerous non-law enforcement jobs like social services, and they were always asking for more classes.”

One of her greatest acts of service is now a faithful companion that she calls Buddy. Before he became a member of her family, the walker hound was a skittish stray that made a home at the airport five years ago. Ramires relentlessly pursued a friendship with the injured dog, feeding him Bojangles meals and developing a strategy to bring him to safety.

“One day I was out patrolling and I noticed him and his collar was cutting into his neck,” she said. “I started feeding him and getting friendly with him.”

Buddy was finally captured 16 months later after he was wooed by a gentle beagle named Roxie, who also lives with Ramires and her family along with two other dogs. Although he still scurries from strangers, Buddy is now a healthy dog who enjoys good meals and rides in the family car.

Ramires believes that her love of protecting and serving is deeply rooted in her DNA.

“Daddy’s dad was a sheriff in Texas; Daddy was a (military police officer); and my brother is in law enforcement so it’s in the family,” Ramires said. “With it being in the family, I’ve been around it forever. Troopers would come over all the time, and I got to sit in the patrol car and that was something I always wanted to do along with helping people.”

After completing basic academy training, Ramires secured her first job as an officer with the Cape Carteret Police Department and quickly earned an officer of the year award. Ramires served nine years in CarteretCounty, six months in JonesCounty and five years with the Richlands Police Department before she became an airport officer. Ramires said that the prevalence and respect of female officers has drastically grown over the years since she started her career.

“When I went into law enforcement years ago, it was very hard for a female,” Ramires said. “You really had to prove yourself with the men that you worked with for them to even accept you. Now you don’t have to prove yourself as a woman first, you are just their partner.”

Ramires was determined to achieve excellence as a police officer, earning an advanced law enforcement certification in November of 2001, teaching rape prevention classes in OnslowCounty and encouraging children in local schools to stand against crime.

“The most rewarding part was when I worked with children and helped to steer them off a path to become criminals, and helping the elderly and meeting lots of new people,” Ramires said.

Retirement has not stopped Ramires from continuing her efforts to cut down on crime. She is now focusing on turning her childhood love for martial arts into a full time profession.

“I first started when I was in the fourth grade and I just started reading books and watching Chuck Norris and different TV shows,” Ramires said. “I asked my mom and dad if I could do it one day, and now I’ve been teaching martial arts for 30 years.”

With a fourth degree black belt in American Tae Kwon Do, Ramires has owned and operated Ramires ATA Black Belt Academy in Swansboro for six years. She plans to focus her martial arts training to help children and teens defend themselves from bullying. She also hopes to help erase negative stereotypes about law enforcement among youth and encourage all residents to make a positive difference in their communities.

“It makes me feel good when people still recognize me as ‘Officer Friendly’ from when they were kids,” she said. “I would always sit in the schools and eat lunch with the kids to show them that I’m just like them.”